μάρτῠς G3144
witness — one who testifies to what has been seen or known, later developing into the sense of 'martyr'
Martys ('witness') appears 35 times in the New Testament, spanning its full semantic arc from courtroom attestation to sacrificial death. In the Gospels, the word retains its classical Greek legal sense: two or three witnesses establish a charge (Matt 18:16; cf. Deut 19:15), and the Sanhedrin seeks witnesses against Jesus (Matt 26:65; Mark 14:63). Luke-Acts pivots the term toward theological testimony: the apostles are 'witnesses' of the resurrection (Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 10:39, 41). The letter to the Hebrews introduces the famous 'cloud of witnesses' (12:1), those who attest to faith by the shape of their lives. Revelation completes the trajectory: Antipas is 'my faithful witness' who was killed (Rev 2:13), and the 'two witnesses' prophesy and die (Rev 11:3) — passages that gave English the word 'martyr.'
Senses
1. witness (one who testifies) — A person who bears testimony to truth, whether in a judicial proceeding, as an eyewitness to events, or through faithful proclamation even unto death. The classical legal sense governs the Gospel trial narratives (Matt 26:65; Mark 14:63) and the Deuteronomic two-witness rule (Matt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1). The apostolic-kerygmatic sense dominates Acts, where the Twelve are 'witnesses of his resurrection' (Acts 1:22; 2:32; 10:41). The trajectory toward suffering testimony emerges in Revelation, where Antipas is ho martys mou ho pistos ('my faithful witness,' Rev 2:13) and Stephen is implied as proto-martyr (Acts 22:20). Spanish 'testigos,' French 'temoin,' German 'Zeuge' all preserve the legal-testimonial core. 35×
AR["شاهِدَيْنِ", "شهودٌ", "شُهودٌ", "شُهودٍ", "شُهودُ", "شُهُود", "شُهُودًا", "شُهُودٌ", "شُهُودٍ", "شُهُودُ", "لِشُهُودٍ"]·ben["সাক্ষী", "সাক্ষীদের", "সাক্ষীদের,", "সাক্ষীর।", "সাক্ষীরা"]·DE["Zeuge"]·EN["of-witnesses", "witnesses"]·FR["témoin"]·heb["עֵדִים"]·HI["गवअह", "गवअहोन", "गवअहोन,", "गवाह", "गवाहों", "गवाहों,", "गवाहों-का", "गवाहों-की", "गवाहों-को", "यरूशलेम-में"]·ID["saksi", "saksi-saksi", "saksi-saksi,", "saksi-saksi."]·IT["testimone"]·jav["para-seksi", "seksi", "seksi,", "seksi-seksi", "seksi."]·KO["그-의", "버려지셨으니", "에-", "이다", "증인들", "증인들,", "증인들-은", "증인들-을", "증인들-의", "증인들-의.", "증인들-이다", "증인들과", "증인들의", "증인들이", "증인들이다"]·PT["de-testemunhas", "testemunhas"]·RU["в-свидетелях", "свидетелей", "свидетели", "свидетели.", "свидетелями,", "свидетелях"]·ES["de-testigos", "testigos"]·SW["mashahidi", "ya-mashahidi"]·TR["hem-de", "tanık", "tanıkla", "tanıklar", "tanıkları", "tanıkların", "tanıklarısınız", "tanıklarıyız", "tanığın", "vardır", "şahidin", "şahitler", "şahitlere"]·urd["گواہ", "گواہوں", "گواہوں-کا", "گواہوں-کی", "گواہوں-کے", "گواہوں۔"]
Matt 18:16, Matt 26:65, Mark 14:63, Luke 11:48, Luke 24:48, Acts 1:8, Acts 1:22, Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 5:32, Acts 6:13, Acts 7:58 (+23 more)
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μάρτῠς, ὁ, ἡ, Cretan dialect, Epid. μαῖτυς Refs, Cretan dialect also μαίτυρς Refs see ii; genitive μάρτῠρος, accusative -ῠρα Refs 8th c.BC+, formed from μάρτυρ (which see), except accusative μάρτῠν Refs 4th c.BC+; dative plural μάρτῠσι (but μάρτυρσι probably in Refs 6th c.BC+:—witness (not in Refs 8th c.BC+; μάρτυρας παρέχεσθαι produce witnesses, Refs 5th c.BC+; μάρτυρα παράγεσθαι, μάρτυρας…